Aug 5, 2018
On Part I of our two-part episode on gun violence, we’re speaking to Maj Toure, Chicago youth educator and founder of Black Guns Matter.
Maj believes that communities of color should bear arms as a form of self-defense against oppressive forces. He also informs us on the racist history of gun control, mass incarceration, and bias within law enforcement. He uses his organization to give young people an understanding and responsibility for the tool so they know how to safely resolve conflicts and protect themselves.
Black Guns Matter provides gun safety education and resources to students in urban areas as a way to support community relations. But Maj also sees the value in individual self-care. He asserts that having a gun is similar to self-care as they both require discipline and habitual training. To him, we can only sustain safe and healthy communities by supporting these individual acts and creating spaces where young people can feel seen and heard.
You can learn more about Black Guns Matter on their Twitter. And be sure to connect with Maj, too @MAJTOURE. As always, you can find this episode and much more on our Twitter and Instagram at @SelfCareSundays and on Facebook at @SelfCareSundaysPodcast.
This episode can also be found on Spotify, GooglePlay, Stitcher, and RadioPublic. You can access the transcription for this episode here.
Be sure to listen the second part of this series with Mike Martin of RAWTools streaming now!